Japanese word

商店街

Pronunciation

Romajishōtengai

Meaning

  • nounshopping district

Example

母と商店街で買い物をします。haha to shō ten gai de ka i mono o shi ma su

I shop with my mother in the shopping district.

Illustration for 商店街 (shopping district)

More examples

駅から商店街まで歩いて五分です。eki ka ra shō ten gai ma de aru i te go fun de su

It is a five-minute walk from the station to the shopping district.

Core concept

Presents a cluster of retail stores as a shared neighborhood destination rather than a single shop.

Common phrases

  • 商店街で買い物をするshō ten gai de ka i mono o su ru

    shop in the shopping district

  • 商店街に行くshō ten gai ni i ku

    go to the shopping district

  • 商店街を通るshō ten gai o tō ru

    pass through the shopping district

Similar words

繁華街hankagai: A lively urban area with many shops, restaurants, and places for entertainment.
商業地区shōgyōchiku: A broad area designated for commercial activity, including shops and other businesses.

Definition in Japanese

日用品などを売る店が集まる、地域の買い物の場。nichi yō hin na do o u ru mise ga atsu ma ru chi iki no ka i mono no ba

Word origin

商店街 (shōtengai) is formed from 商店 (shōten, "shop") and 街 (gai, "street"), giving the compound its sense of an area associated with many shops.

Usage tips

  • In Japan, a 商店街 (shōtengai) may include a covered arcade, but the word refers to the group of local shops and their area rather than to the roof alone.

Other meanings

  • shopping streetnoun

Word lists with this word